o
The black horse
with a rider holding a balance or scales in his
hand represents the church of the early Middle Ages which moved
farther from God's revealed will. The church adopted the ways of the
world to advance its mission, and set in motion a period of intense spir-
itual famine.
o
The pale horse
with a rider wearing the name "Death and Hades"
represents the church of the later Middle Ages. Spiritual famine ended in
spiritual death. The church had so turned away from the love and humility
of Jesus that it ceased to be His church. Apostate Christians persecuted
faithful Christians. Death and hell represent the divine sentence upon an
apostate church.
The seals of Revelation 6:1-8:1 are being restudied constantly by
Seventh-day Adventists.
We recognize that this is a section of Scripture
that demands close investigation. Together we need to open our hearts and
minds to the teaching ministry of the Holy Spirit as we seek for the special
relevance of this prophecy for the church and the world today.
4. For those wishing to engage in a more in-depth study of the four
horses of Revelation 6 the following study questions are offered:
a.
Who sends the four horses and riders into the earth? Rev. 6:1, 3, 5, 7.
The commands are given by the "living creatures" who are cherubim.
Eze. 1:4-10, 22; 10:1, 15, 20. From whom do the cherubim receive their
commands? Eze. 1:24, 25; 10:4, 5.
b.
What is the command that the living creatures give to the riders of
the horses? The KJV reads, "Come and see," but a better translation of the
Greek text might be, "Come," or "Go." "Many copyists of the Greek
manuscripts understood this to be a summons to John to come and behold
the sequel to the breaking of the seal, and so they added the words, 'and
see.' The AV follows this inaccurate rendering. However, the best Greek
texts contain only the summons, 'Come.' "—George Eldon Ladd, A
Com-
mentary on the Revelation of John
(Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm.
B.
Eercl-
mans, 1972), p. 96.
c.
What is symbolized by the four colors of the horses? How are these
colors used in other contexts? A concordance may be used to great advan-
tage here. As a beginning note: "white" (Rev. 3:4, 5, 18; 19:7, 8); "red"
(Isa. 63:1-5; 1:18); "black" (Jer. 4:27, 28; Isa. 50:2, 3); "Pale or pale
green" (2 Kings 19:26; Eze. 17:24).
d.
What is represented by the two items possessed by the rider of the
white horse? The "bow" (Gen. 49:22-24; Zech. 10:1, 3-7) and the
"crown" (Rev. 3:11; Lev. 8:9; Ex. 28:36-38; Rev. 7:1-3).
e.
What kind of conquest is carried on by the rider of the white horse?
(Rev. 6:2). Is it spiritual or military?
f.
Is the message of the white horse being presented today? If so, what
is this message?
g.
If the message of the red horse, like that of the white horse, comes
from God, how could it be said "to take peace from the earth?" (Rev. 6:4;
compare Matt. 10:34-36). If the rider is sent into the earth by one of the
cherubim who passes on God's command, why is he given a great sword?
What does the sword represent? (See Eph. 6:17; Heb. 4:12; compare Isa.
50